


Sons and Kings (of all things)

by im_dying_inside



Series: Teenagers and Quests (are the very best) [5]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, F/F, Gen, Kidnapping, Leashes, M/M, Other, Spot is a Good Boyfriend, bad words, bubble bath chaos, but not as a kink, failed relationships succ, fake slavery, im back, it's a sequel folks, katherine's smart???, platonic ralbert, pulitzer's a putz, sniper is chaotic neutral, someone let race sleep, the author is alive!!!, who knew
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-23
Updated: 2019-09-20
Packaged: 2020-01-24 09:28:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,295
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18568597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_dying_inside/pseuds/im_dying_inside
Summary: Racetrack Higgins finally gets home after being kidnapped by dragons, and the very first thing that happens to him is another kidnapping. By his father.They're finally at the Empire Castle, with over half of the group in the dungeon, and the other half as slaves. How will the group get themselves out of this one?also known as: you know the story's getting serious when the daddy references slow down





	1. I’m Sorry I Pretended To Be A Rich, Stuck Up Jerk (i had a reason to, i swear)

**Author's Note:**

> sup boy scouts you wanna know how long ago this sequel was supposed to happen?  
> FEBRUARY 2ND  
> now im not good at math but something tells me that's a whole lot of months  
> buT ANYWAYS HERE IT IS!!! THE OFFICIAL SEQUEL TO DRAGONS AND MEN!!!  
> this wont have a consistent update schedule bc my brain doesn't like me half of the time, but imma try and keep it once a week. maybe more
> 
> if you've been here for a long time, you know how this is gonna go:  
> enjOY oR DOn'T i'm not going to force you to choose

Katherine took the longest route possible back to her room. The guards hesitantly trailing behind her were getting rather annoyed, but she didn’t care. “Oh, look at this darling vase!” she’d exclaim occasionally, pointing at a random vase. “Isn’t it just the cutest?” she’d ask the guards escorting her. Of course, they’d give a noncommittal shrug, and continue their surveyance of the castle.   


Truth be told, she didn’t give a damn about any of the vases in the castle, no matter how expensive they were. But she needed to put on an act, otherwise, she’d never set her brother free. Yes, of course, Katherine had a plan! She wasn’t just going to abandon her friends and family at the first sign of trouble! Who do you think she is?  


Turning the corner to her room, she gave a small wave to the guards. “Thank you all so much! You all have made me feel so much better after escaping those ruffians” she cheered, internally cringing while simultaneously flipping them off. “I think I’ll be fine now,” she added. Thankfully, all of them believed her act. And Tonio said she wasn't a good actor? As if!  


Slowly opening the door, Katherine was greeted by five pissed off teenagers. They all looked like absolute shit, all roughed up. There were handcuffs on their wrists and ankles, with a small key hanging on the door. Les had a black eye, Romeo’s wings were folded in what seemed to be a painful position. But it was Sarah, sweet Sarah who broke Katherine’s heart. She was sitting in the corner, knees up to her chest, face stained with tears.   


Smalls was the first to speak, saying what was on everyone’s minds. “Fuck you!” she screamed, her voice cracking halfway, before breaking into tears again. Les tried to comfort her, but it seemed the young girl was inconsolable.   


The only one who wasn’t reacting was Crutchie. He just looked at her, eyes holding no emotion. “I hope you suffer,” he said, barely above a whisper. That was enough.   


“Stop it! I demand you, I am the Princess of Manhattan!” Katherine screamed, loud enough for the guards around her room to hear. The five teens stared at her in disbelief. She gave them a small wink, before grabbing a pillow, and smacking it into the ground. “This, this is what will happen if the rest of you disobey!” When nobody reacted, Katherine mouthed the words ‘play along’.   


They all nodded, before breaking out into heart-wrenching screams. After about a minute of that, Katherine set the pillow down and grabbed the keys to the handcuffs. “Now, don't kill me, please,” she half-joked, staring at Smalls. “I’m looking at you, Smalls!”   


“Hey!” Smalls exclaimed, holding out her wrists. As soon as Katherine freed them all, Smalls stared at her. “What the fuck is going on?” she screamed, at top volume.   


Katherine put her finger up to her lips, motioning a ‘shush’ sound. “They’ll hear you!” she whispered, pointing at the door. “Anyways, like you were saying Smalls, what the fuck is going on? My brother, your brothers, and friends just got arrested by my father, and I asked for you five to be my slaves.”  


“Kathy, why’d ya do that?” Crutchie asked, staring at the princess in awe.   


“So I could save you, duh!” Katherine said like it was obvious. It was, in fact, not obvious. Katherine is just horribly inept at social situations. “No offense guys, but you were the easiest to “ask” for. Plus, I’m not going to be able to get Tonio out by myself. That’s where you, my faithful servants, come in.”  


The group began a small discussion, while Katherine ran off to her closet. “D’ya think we should do it?” Romeo whispered, pointing to where Katherine was just standing. “I dunno if we should trust her.”  


Sarah smacked the fairy over the head and stared at him. “Of course! She’s the same Kathy that we know and love! We’re just gonna have to play pretend for her dad!”   


“Promise?” Smalls asked, sneaking her way into another conversation. Sarah nodded.   


“Promise.” Grabbing fingers with the younger girl, they both did a pinkie promise.   


At that moment, Katherine came bounding out of her closet, holding bundles of clothes. “Les, Crutchie, Romeo, the bathroom is open for you three!” she exclaimed, motioning towards the bathroom. It smelled like the forest and the sea. The three boys practically ran into the bathroom, excited with the promise of an actual bath. “Can you two wait? I’ve got plenty of dresses for you!”   


Smalls and Sarah were not big fans of dresses. Sure, Sarah would wear skirts almost every day, but Smalls never wore dresses. Ever. Not even when Medda begged with her. “Um… Kath, I love you, but we’re not dress people…” Sarah began, not wanting to offend her girlfriend. Especially when she looked so happy.   


“That’s why I got some skirts, blouses, and pants for you two!” she exclaimed, before looking at Smalls. “Smalls, I’m terribly sorry, but the only clothes that would fit you are from years ago when I went through a girly period,” she explained, holding out a poofy peasant dress.   


“Wait… why d’ya have poor people dresses?” Smalls asked, curiosity overpowering her sense of manners. Even though she was raised by Medda, the girl still had a certain roughness about her.   


Katherine took the dress and studied it. “My papa didn’t like me leaving the castle when I was younger, but he knew I wanted to pretend play. So he got me some peasant clothes?” Katherine said, cringing at her explanation. “Now, I see how that could be offensive. I swear I’m not trying to offend you!”   


“KATHERINE!!! WHERE ARE THE TOWELS???” Romeo yelled from the bathroom.   


Before the two girls could say anything else, Katherine was already running into the bathroom, eyes closed. After a few seconds of towel rustling, Katherine came out of the bathroom laughing her butt off. “Come… see!” she explained in between breaths.   


Slowly, Smalls and Sarah stepped into the bathroom, which was a mess of bubbles. Romeo and Les were playing with them, while Crutchie sat on a bench, shaking his head. “Have none of you ever taken a bath?” Sarah exclaimed.   


“Well, I’se is a fairy, so…”  


“I’se is a human-dragon hybrid who grew up in an abusive household, so…”  


“We can’t afford baths, Saz are you crazy?!”  


Sarah nodded her head, a bit taken back by such honest answers. “Okay, that makes sense. Also, Les, I know you’ve taken baths!” Les shook his head but didn’t try to argue his point anymore.

“Katherine, do you have swimsuits for guys? It’s a stretch, but…”   


“Let me check Tonio’s room! He always loved to swim!” Katherine said, before remembering where her brother was at the moment. “He won’t mind. When we visit the dungeons, we’ll tell him about this,” she added, before rushing out of the room.   


Walking around the massive piles of bubbles on the floor, Smalls stuck her finger in the large, swimming-pool sized bath. “This is one big bath!” she exclaimed. It was obvious that she wanted to jump in so badly, but didn’t want to ruin her clothes. “Such a shame I…”   


“Fine, I’ll get you a suit!” Sarah said, over exaggerating her words. Running to the closet, she grabbed three swimsuits, for her, Katherine and Smalls. “Smalls, come in here to change!” she called out to the bathroom. Within a few seconds, Smalls had jumped into the closet. Both girls finished changing and headed back to the bathroom, where all of the boys were wearing Race’s old suits.   


Katherine shrugged and ran off to the closet. “Have fun!” she screamed, causing Romeo to cannonball into the bathtub. Seriously, how did Katherine have such a big bathtub? Which, of course, was the first thing Sarah asked when her girlfriend returned. “Magic,” was Katherine’s reply, before jumping in as well.   


Soon, all of them were squeaky clean. Sarah and Katherine’s hair finally had a shine to it, none of the boys smelled like pig farms anymore! It was great. They all exited at around the same time, collapsing onto Katherine’s bed and couch. From there, Katherine kicked into makeover mode. She gave Sarah a brush and told her to go help the boys, while she chased after Smalls with a wide tooth comb.   


“No!” Smalls screamed, jumping on the bed.   


“It’s healthy for your hair!” Katherine replied, tackling Smalls midair. Even Romeo admitted that tackle was impressive. The lengths Katherine will go to for a good glow up are incredibly high and extremely scary.   


Finally, everyone looked like proper servants to the Princess. Smalls was rocking a patterned brown skirt with red trim along with a brown vest, with a bandana to hide her short hair. “I think it’s wonderful, the others won’t” was Katherine’s explanation for the bandana. Romeo had managed to magic up a shirt made from leaves and put on some brown pants that used to belong to Race. Sarah wore a white collared blouse, a thick tan sash, and a pale cream skirt. Les eventually gave in to Sarah’s nagging and put on a brown vest with some pants and a shirt. Honestly, he didn’t really care. Crutchie just put on the closest pieces of clothing, ending up with a mishmash of brown patterns.   


“Alright gang, let’s head out!” Katherine exclaimed, before remembering something. “Guys… I should probably have you in chains…” she said, not wanting to ruin the fun. Before anyone else could react, Katherine interrupted herself, desperate to save the situation. “You guys were super pissed when you came to me, right?” A small nod from the collective, “So why would I let some “wild ruffians” run around freely?” she added.   


Les was the first to realize that Katherine did have a point. When they were brought into the room, they were restrained due to anger. They should probably keep that facade. “So… what’re ya sayin?”   


“Well, I can get away with Crutchie not having any chains, as long as he pretends to be super weak…” Katherine said, deep in thought, “Sarah can be my new personal maid so I can spend plenty of time with her…”  


Romeo stepped forwards. “I’se is pretty sure you’se is only gonna hafta worry ‘bout me. I ain’t human, an’ I can’t have iron on my skin,” he said, raising his wrists for Katherine to see. Sure enough, there were angry red marks where the handcuffs had once rested. “We could do a whole “exotic fairy pet on a leash” shtick but…”  


“That might… work. It’ll be horribly demeaning, and you’ll probably have to deal with a whole ton of shit… but…” Romeo raised his hand. “Yes, Romeo?”  


“Can I pretend ta be savage an’ fake bite people?” he asked, causing everyone else to roll their eyes.   


Katherine just stared at him for several minutes. “Okay. Sure. If I’m putting a leash on you, you can pretend to be a horrible monster. Not that it’ll be any different from how you are now. I’ll bring some fake iron to throw at you when you piss me off.”  


“Okay, sounds like a plan,” Romeo conceded, conjuring up a leash made of leaves around his neck. “It’s incredibly strong. Same stuff that Jojo’s Vines are made of,” he explained, tugging on a section of the leash. “Here, take it!” he exclaimed, probably too overjoyed at the prospect of being owned. If only Race and Albert were in the room. Maybe they could have called out Romeo for the kinky bastard he is.   


Everyone set off making their own “bonds” so that they could sneak down to the dungeon without being noticed. “What happens if guards see us?” Crutchie asked while helping Sarah fasten some “handcuffs”.   


“I say that I’m showing them how happy they can be if they surrender, or something along those lines. I’m the princess, I don’t need much of a reason unless it’s for my father.” Everyone nodded, putting on the finishing touches. “Everybody ready?”  


The walk down to the dungeon was rather uneventful. Katherine had her wrist in Romeo’s leash contraption, while also keeping both hands on Les and Smalls. Sarah walked a few paces behind her, also helping Crutchie out if needed. They only passed one guard, which was good. However, Romeo decided to pretend to attack them, which meant that Katherine had to throw some silver at him. He just cackled like the chaos bringer he is.   


After what seemed like forever, they finally made it to the dungeons. Katherine let all of the others go first because she didn’t have a literal death wish. Only a few seconds in, Smalls motioned for Katherine to come over. “Hey Kathy…” she said, sounding rather hesitant. “Where’s Race?”  



	2. I Just Escaped From Being Kidnapped (and now i’m kidnapped again?)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Race literally just escaped from being kidnapped... only to be kidnapped again. Also, Pulitzer finally reveals why he's such a jerk to Race. 
> 
> TW: Def some bad words, more handcuffs, shiny handcuffs, misuse of nicknames and ex-relationships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> at this point all of my notes start with "im back" so here we go:   
> HOWDY IM BACK  
> i wanted to publish this a while ago... but also i didn't so sorry bout that  
> here's the newest chapter, i honestly don't know when the next one will come out  
> the next chapter will be in the dungeon with everyone else
> 
> as ALWAYS: EnJOy OR DoNT

There were only two words that could accurately describe Racetrack Higgins’ current mood. Pissed off, and scared as fuck. Seriously, the poor boy had just been rescued from his first kidnapping and was finally returning home. To another place where nobody wanted him, another place in chains. Only, this time, this course it wasn’t some random anthropomorphic spider. It was his own father. 

Race struggled against the two guards leading him down the familiar halls of his home. Sorry, his former home. “Dad, stop it!” Race protested, hating the way his voice cracked. He sounded weak. He’s always been weak. 

The king, Joseph Pulitzer, turned around and backhanded Race across the face. “Boy, how many times have I told you, I’m not your father!” 

Fighting against the iron grip of his captors, Race managed to squeak out a measly “Since when?” The speed at which Joseph turned around was lightning fast. 

“Boy, what did you just say?” Joseph demanded, stepping closer to Race. Even though the former prince tried to break away, it was no use. “What did you just say!” Joseph repeated, grabbing Race’s chin. “TELL ME!” he roared. 

Race cringed from the noise, and the hand on his chin. “Since when did you become… my not father?” Race repeated, his voice eerily quiet. Joseph laughed, a cold and cruel laugh. 

“Since the day you were born, my boy.” Before Race could respond, he felt cold irons being placed on his feet. He could feel the damp, darkness of the cave. He gave an involuntary shudder, causing

Joseph to give an animalistic grin to the boy. “Reminded of somewhere?” he teased, grabbing Race by the collar of his shirt. “Good.”

Throwing Race to the ground, Joseph easily towered over the boy. “Why?” Race choked out, against his own will. “You loved me!” Wildly looking around like a caged animal, Race could barely make out his surroundings. His father’s own office. How did it look so scary?

“No boy, I never loved you. I only pretended for Katherine’s, and the kingdom’s sake. Your mother was a cheating whore who got knocked up by some servant boy. It’s her fault for bringing you onto this planet. It is my duty to bring you out.” 

Race quivered at Joseph’s harsh words. He’d never even considered the mere possibility that his father wasn’t the king. It hadn’t even occurred to him. Looking back and forth, Race took in the features of his father and compared them to his own. No bright blue eyes, no curly blonde hair. Everything suddenly came crashing together, like someone was violently smashing a puzzle together in his brain. The servants never liking him, his “father” turning mean after his mother died… it all made sense now. But why was it being pushed on him so quickly?

“Now, as your king, I have the right to do whatever I want with you, understood?” Joseph said, glaring at Race, a disdainful look plastered on his face. “It is by my mercy and kindness that I haven’t killed you yet. Remember that.”

Giving the smallest of nods, Race tried to shift his body to a sitting position. But the whip marks from the first time he was kidnapped were still there, still brutally painful. He’d paid them no mind while he with Spot. Now, they were more irritated than before. “Thanks, I guess…” Race commented, desperately trying to keep a sarcastic air to his words. The truth is that he was utterly terrified. But he could never, ever let his father king know that. . 

“Thanks for what?” Joseph demanded, his anger flaring up. “For offering you shelter for sixteen years while you were an ungrateful brat? For hiring people to kidnap and torture you?”

“For not killing me yet,” Race explained. “Thanks, fer that.” 

Joseph scoffed, turning away from Race. Sitting down at his desk rather dramatically, Joseph pulled out a piece of parchment and a pen and began to scribble violently onto the page. “Mark my words, boy. I will make an example of you. When the kingdom sees what happened to the People’s Prince, they’ll never cross me again.”

Staring at the King, Race tried to figure out who the People’s Prince could be. “I’se sorry… but the People’s Prince? Who the fuck is that?” 

The king laughed, a cold, cruel sound. “It’s you. Your… behavior at events has landed you favoritism with the common man. But soon, they’ll see what happens to rebellion. 

The king motioned to the two guards standing around. They clomped forwards, grabbing Race’s chained arms, and pulling him up. “Guards, would you kindly escort the boy to his room? I’ve helped in its special preparation.”

“You sound like you’se is about ta break into an evil villain song. Can I stick around for that?” Race butted in, unable to stop himself. The whole ordeal seemed unreal, more like an evil villain monologue than an actual threat. How did Pulitzer expect him to react after revealing that he wasn’t his father and that he hired the Delancey Dragons to kidnap him?

“You know you’re only making it worse for yourself.”

“That’s what I tends ta do!” Race responded as the guards dragged him away. “See ya later alligator!” He giggled as Pulitzer sighed. As the guards led him down the halls, they started speeding up, eventually dragging him on the ground. Normally Race would love to make the guards walk for him. But this time was obviously different. “Hey, y’ know I can walk on my own, right?” Race said to the two men, looking at the shorter of the two. 

The guard sighed and nodded at the other guard. “Listen “Race” or whatever name you’re goin’ by now, neither one of us gives even half of a damn. We doesn't get paid enough to care, we just follow s the King’s orders. An’ his orders was to escort ya.” 

“Ya can’t walk fast ‘nough, so we’se helpin ya out,” the other guard finished. Race nodded, allowing the two men to continue with their process. At long last, they reached the room that Race assumed he’d stay in. One guard opened the door, while the other forced Race into the room. 

Instead of a comforting, familiar room that Race expected, it was a sterile, white room. A large bed was in the center of the room. Besides that, there was nothing else, except for the closet, which was locked. The windows were closed, with heavy padlocks keeping them shut.

Race allowed himself to be walked to the bed, his handcuffs and irons undone. Instead, the short guard received a pair of thin, silver handcuffs and slightly heavier foot irons. The other guard tried his best to prevent Race from standing but just ended up awkwardly pinning him to the bed. “These is the highest metalworking technology. Nothin’ is able ta break through these bad boys.” To prove his point, the guard yanked on the chains. They were unbreakable. 

As the guard fastened the handcuffs, Race finally let the seriousness of the situation hit him. He was, essentially, a prisoner in his own house. Studying the handcuffs, Race noticed that they were studded with various fine gems. “Why’d ya put jewels on these ‘cuffs?” Race asked the shorter guard, holding his hands up. 

“It looks like a fashion statement, ‘stead of it lookin’ like we’se keepin’ you prisoner,” the guard replied. 

“But ya is keepin’ me as yer prisoner!” Race exclaimed, flopping onto the bed. “Ow…” he muttered, realizing that putting pressure on sensitive wounds probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do. 

The short guard cautiously approached the bed. “Listen, even though the king will kill me, I wanna help ya out. Henry, go get some first aid shit… nah, just get Sniper,” he said, before turning back to Race. “Race, you’se is gonna have ta flip over, c’n ya do that?”

“Who the fuck are you?” Race demanded, hesitantly flipping himself over. 

“Tommy Boy. How’s it goin?”

“Well, to be honest… Thomas Man? I’m hella tired, super injured and pretty pissed off. Not to mention the fact that I just found out that my dad… isn’t my dad, and that people actually loved me. And now I’se is supposed ta trust ya just like that? Ya dragged me here an’ chained me up! How’s a guy supposed ta believe you after that?”

“I dunno… ya just do?” Tommy Boy said, awkwardly shrugging. “I’se isn’t the best wit’ this stuff. But I is sorry fer draggin’ ya o’er here an’ chainin’ ya up…” he said. 

Before Race could give another one of his award-winning witty retorts, a small Asian girl burst through the door, trailed by the other guard. “Where’s he at?” she screamed, barreling through the room. Tommy Boy pointed towards Race. Inwardly, Race felt a small part of him die as this girl ran towards him, arms straight behind her. “Oh shit, you look fucked up dude,” she muttered. 

“Jesus Christ Sniper, c’n ya at least be nice ta the prince?” Henry said. At least, Race thought it was Henry. Honestly, he didn’t know anymore. Not that he cared. At this point, he was just a pawn in his father’s weird game. But hey, it can’t be that bad.

“Not the… prince…” Race said, wincing as Sniper ripped his shirt open. She hurriedly took out a bottle of liquid, pouring the whole thing onto Race’s back. “OW! HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT HURTS!” he screamed at the girl. Only, she didn’t respond. Instead, she chose to continue cleaning the cuts. “Holy… fuckin… shit…” Race murmured, before passing out from the pain. That didn’t stop Sniper, who continued to scrub at Race’s back. 

As Race lay there, completely unconscious yet again, everyone else in the room looked at each other. Not wanting for there to be an awkward situation, Henry took it upon himself to start a conversation with Tommy Boy. Even though Tommy Boy scared the everloving crap out of him. “So, ya said that Sean’s back?” he asked Tommy Boy, trying to keep the peace. Every single guard from that year knew what happened between Tommy Boy and Spot. 

“Yeah, but not by choice. He’s in the dungeons, wit’ the rest ‘a the prisoners,” Tommy Boy said, trying not to laugh. Sean had broken his heart back then, and even though he didn’t want revenge… it was still satisfying to see. “Why don’ we go pay ‘em a visit?” he suggested. Henry nodded, a small smile coming across his face. 

Henry and Tommy Boy headed out of the room, followed by Sniper, who had deemed Race “healthy” for the time being. “He’ll probably need some more treatment, but I wanna see the shitshow that goes down while Sean an’ Tommy reunite,” was her only comment. The door closed on Race, and Henry placed another padlock on the door. “He’ll be fine without us, right?” she asked, not totally sure herself, 

“He won’ freak out if we’se gone.”

“He’ll be fine. Now, c’ mon, let’s go see Sean!” Tommy Boy exclaimed, leading the way towards the dungeon. “I have a few things ta say to ‘em.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tommy Boy and Spot were FWB but like slightly more romantic while Spot was a knight for Pulitzer. If you forgot that Spot was a knight for Pulitzer, don't worry, I did too.   
> Race's handcuffs were originally going to be velvet, but then i realized how kinky that would be. and this is a serious story, not a crack in between  
> Finally: I'm starting a club to fucking merc Pulitzer because honestly I hate him more than I hate Snyder which is saying a lot (But only in this story)
> 
> Last but not least: I have a list of songs that I associate with the characters. Do y'all wanna see that??? Let me know
> 
> yalls already knew it was coming: (i will) pEAce ouT boY scOUts   
> lmao look at the caps


	3. Reunions Are Less Fun Than I Thought (and i never thought they were fun in the first place)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Albert has a breakdown because Race is gone again, and the rest of the crew (people who weren't saved by kath when she pretended to betray them all) enjoys prison. 
> 
> TW: Swear Words, One Sexual Reference (it's albo going KiNkY), Failed Relationships, Mention of PTSD Because Race Probably Has That Now, The Ultimate brOTP

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOWDY BOYSCOUTS ITS GREAT TO BE BACK 
> 
>  
> 
> *legally blonde reprise from legally blonde the musical starts playing*  
> BACK IN THE FANDOM  
> BACK TO THE FIC  
> BUT IM GOING BACK IN MY STYLE (back in her style)
> 
> hi…   
> um… it’s been a while  
> but i’m back… for now
> 
> basically, i began to work at my old summer camp for the second year in a row, and as much as i love love love the gremlins i work with, they’re exhausting. which is why im making an appearance for the first time in like… four months. school’s starting up again, which means my other fic will probs begin soon. but don’t quote me on that. 
> 
> so…  
> yeah…
> 
> .......enjoy or dont.....

Sean Patrick Conlon was pissed. So pissed that he was referring to himself in the third person, using his full name. Nobody does that! He was pissed at Katherine for lying, pissed at Pulitzer for being a little bitch, pissed at his friends for not doing anything. But most of all, he was pissed that his love had just been taken away from him. 

As the guards led him downstairs to the dungeon, he made eye contact with Albert. In a split second, both boys began bitching, silently, through facial expressions and eye rolls. At least someone else was as pissed as him. Meanwhile, the rest of his friends were complacent with the whole scenario, making him even madder. 

“Fuck you,” he spat, talking to the guard escorting him to the dungeon. “Fuck you,” he repeated. The guard stared at him for a moment, before bursting out into laughter. 

Spot stared at the guard, incredulously. “You… you’se is Sean! It’s been a year! Oh my god, Tommy Boy’s gonna love this!” the guard exclaimed. That’s when Spot looked at the guard more carefully. Fucking hell. 

“You’se is one of those twins, aintcha?” Spot said, choosing his words carefully. Back in the guild, he burned a lot of bridges. “How’s the… the udda one?” 

The tall boy laughed and grabbed Spot’s collar, his face turned deathly serious. “Ike’s doing fine, no thanks to you, asshole,” the boy spat, twisting the shirt. Spot instantaneously regretted all of his past choices as the boy pushed him forward. “After that mission, he ain’t been the same…”

“If it helps, I ain’t been the same neither?” Spot suggested, trying to keep the peace. Luckily for him, the guard chose to ignore him. Instead, the boy, shoved him into a jail cell, not even removing his handcuffs. “Ya ain’t gonna take these?” All Spot got in return were two middle fingers as the rest of the guards walked away. Scooching himself on his butt, he managed to reach a cell wall. “So…”

He wanted to fake some optimism, but he was interrupted by the sound of flesh hitting a wall. Looking over at the puncher, Spot saw that it was Albert. “FUCK!” he screamed, punching the wall again. “FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK!” Tears stained his cheeks, and it was pretty clear why he was so upset. And to be honest, Spot definitely felt the same way. 

Finch, being the loving boyfriend he is, tried to give Albert a hug. Instead of leaning into the touch, Albert ducked away from the embrace, turning to Spot. “You is the only one who knows what I’se is goin’ through,” he said, voice deadly serious. 

“Wait, what about the rest of us?” Jack said voice tinged with indignation. 

Turning ever so slowly, to show that Jack had said the wrong thing, Albert walked over to Jack. “Would you die for him?” Albert asked, his voice nearing a whisper. 

“What?”

Slamming his hands on Jack’s shoulders, trapping the other boy in, Albert repeated the question. “Would. You. Die. For. Him.” 

“Um…” Jack tried to wiggle his way out of Albert’s grip, but the redhead had him nailed in place. “Yeah?” 

With that, Albert raised one of his hands and smacked Jack across the face. Hard. “Don’t fuckin’ lie to me ever again. You wouldn’t die for Race! None of ya would! I lo—” he put his hand over his mouth and walked over to where Spot was sitting. Everyone stared at Albert, with a mixture of both fear and concern. “Don’t fuckin’ look at me!” Albert cried, holding his hands in front of his face. 

And with that, the people who weren’t freaking out heard voices. Because nothing makes for comedic timing like the appearance of a traitor. Especially a traitor who had managed to enslave like… half of their friend group. That’s right, it was Princess Katherine Ethel Pulitzer, being led by… Romeo?

“ROMEO!” Specs shrieked, his heart filling with the warmth of a thousand suns. “IS YA OKAY? HAS SHE HURT YA?” he demanded, still speaking in all caps… sorry...still screaming. 

Romeo nodded, before pointing towards Katherine. “I think Miss Princess has somethin’ ta say to y’all… right, Kathy?”

As Davey and Jack silently mouthed out the new nickname that Romeo bestowed upon Katherine, the redheaded girl looked at the people trapped in her father’s prison. “Okay, so long story short, I’m not good at communication.”

“No shit, Sherlock!” was Sarah’s response, before she lovingly nudged Katherine’s shoulder. 

Katherine sighed, before turning back to the group. “Well, I thought it was obvious that I was faking it to save Crutchie, Sarah, Les, Smalls, and Romeo. Apparently, I need to share my thoughts before acting on them. I’ll work on improving that next time.” With that, she gave a slight bow and continued her apology spiel. “Which is why I brought an explanation, the keys to the dungeon, and some fake handcuffs.” 

The mention of handcuffs seemingly pulled Albert out of his angst-induced panic attack/fit of anger/whatever you want to call it. “KiNkY!” he screamed, before laying his head in his hands once again. 

“Speakin’ of the devil, where the fuck is Racer?” Spot asked, having pushed himself up from the ground. “You guys got reunion wit’ you’se’s significant other, I wanna see mine!” With that, Katherine shared a glance with Sarah. Spot was no dumbass, he knew what that meant. “You ain’t seen ‘im, huh?” he asked, voice growing softer each syllable. 

“If it helps, we searched on the way to the dungeon. But we couldn’t do it thoroughly enough without making the guards suspicious,” Sarah said, her tone of voice mimicking the way one would talk to a spooked animal. 

Jack cleared his throat, gaining some undeserved attention from the rest of the group. “What ‘bout that guard, Spot? He knew ya, an’ you knew him? Was that what yer little ‘find myself journey’ consisted of?”

If looks could kill, Jack Kelly would be a rotting corpse on the ground by this point. “Yes, it was a part of my ‘find myself journey’,” Spot responded, facing away from Jack so he could flip his brother off. “But also, you can suck it.” 

“The only thing I’se is gonna suck is Dav—”

“Hey, woah, woah, Jackie, no!” Davey butted in. 

“Oh really, then I’se is gonna be all up on Ra—”

“Shut the fuck up Spot!” 

“QUIET!” Les screamed, pointing towards the guards who had snuck in during the fight. Immediately, Spot hid behind Specs and Davey, the tallest of the bunch. 

The guards, there were three of them, bowed to Katherine. “Princess, what are ya doin’ with these ruffians?” one of them asked, while another got really close to the bars. The final one, who was clearly a girl, hung towards the stairs, squealing. 

“Have any of you seen Seanie?” he asked, voice sugary sweet. Of course, to hear the Badass Spot Conlon ™ referred to as Seanie caused both Davey and Specs to bend over laughing, revealing one very embarrassed Spot Conlon. “Spottie!” the guard exclaimed. “It’s been a while!” 

Spot growled, before facing his fears. “Hi, Tommy…” he said. “First off, I’se sor—”

“Don’t fucking talk to him, asshole!” the other guard interrupted. 

The girl in the back piped up to add her very wise statement into the conversation. “Yeah, you tell ‘em, Henry!”

Tommy Boy just sighed, before staring at Spot, eyes boring into his skull. “I want ya to know that I’se moved past ya. Ya don’t mean nothin’ ta me no more, an’ I hope ya realize the pain you put me through when ya left. You’re nothin ta me. Nothin,” he said, with such conviction that he almost convinced Spot that he really was nothing. 

But there was one person who disproved all of that with a simple smile. Such a shame he couldn’t be here. However, Spot wasn’t a dumbass. He knew that Tommy Boy had access to Race when he didn’t. So he did what any smart man would do. He didn’t respond. 

“Really, Spot?” Tommy Boy asked, pushing his face through the bars. “I thought ya’d be all over me by now. Must be somethin’ in that country water!” he added. The truth is that Tommy Boy was still hurting from his failed relationship with Spot. And now, he wanted revenge. “Maybe it’s a new guy in yer life…” he said. Spot’s head perked up, and Tommy internally smiled. “Hmm, seems there is…”

“Don’t fuckin’ touch him!” Spot growled, protectively positioning himself in front of his friends. 

Tommy Boy laughed, slinging his arm around the other male guard. “I won’t. But I want information… now. An’ I ain’t afraid ta use torture to get it.”

For the first time since their arrest, Davey spoke up. “Exactly what do you want to know?” he said, using his retail voice. “Because we really don’t know that much. We were kinda shoved here and then arrested.”

“We all saw yer little stint wit’ the princess and Tonio,” Tommy Boy said, ignoring Katherine’s protests. “We wanna know why the fuck does Tonio have all those cuts and scrapes!”

At the mention of his best friend, Albert stood up. “If he has a single injury on his head by the time we’re done, I’ll murder you both!” he said, causing Tommy Boy and the other guard to laugh. 

“Albo, ya know we wouldn’t hurt the prince. You’se been threatening us fer years bout that shit! We’se protectin’ him! We’se the ones makin’ sure that his daddy don’t hurt ‘em more than he needs since you can’t be there ta do so.” the other guard said. “Tommy Boy’s just messin’ wit ya!” 

Albert gave the other guard a glare. “Fuck off, Henry,” he said, a small grin on his face. “He’s safe?” he added, looking like a kicked puppy.

“Yeah, Albo. Of course, he’s safe! We just wanted to piss off Spot, an’ see how you’se is fairin’. Race’s doin’ pretty damn well considering his condition. Probably shouldn’tve left ‘em alone, though…”

“Ya left him alone?” Spot demanded before the guards realized how dumb they are. “Ya left the prisoner of the king, who probably has PTSD from his stint wit’ them dragons, alone? Is I hearin’ ya correctly on that one?” 

It was at that point that Katherine cleared her throat, somehow sounding regal while the phlegm in her esophagus worked its way out.”You left my brother, the captive of the king, alone… in his room… that the king has the key to?” And with that, Tommy Boy, Henry, and the tiny girl guard ran off, leaving Katherine and her crew alone.

Holding up several pairs of crappily made handcuffs, Katherine turned to the guys in the prison.“Okay, you’re my slaves too, I guess. Put on these handcuffs, and follow me. We’re not letting Anto— Race get away from us again!” she exclaimed while opening the cell door. All of the former prisoners put on their handcuffs, except for Spot. 

Casually, like the freak of nature he is, Spot moved his handcuffed hands from behind his back to the front. Yes, he stepped over his arms, because of course Spot’s double-jointed. 

“We aren’t discussing that, right?” Jack whispered to Davey while putting on his handcuffs. 

“Nope,” Davey responded, before heading out of the cell. “Though, you really don’t know that much about your brother…” he added. 

“We’se both adopted from diff’rent mothers. We don’t know each other that well!” Jack whisper-exclaimed, following Davey. “Besides, you probably know jack shit about Les or Sarah!” Davey didn’t have a good enough response to that, so he simply turned back to the front, ignoring Jack’s pleas.

The group of fake slaves continued to trail after Katherine, who was trailing after Tommy Boy. Finally, they reached the sterile white room where Race was staying. But when Tommy Boy opened the door, he was greeted with a firm punch to the jaw. 

Out of the room stepped one bedraggled Racetrack Higgins, grinning like a damn fool, handcuffs off. “Hiya guys! How goes it?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> MAN THIS FEELS GOOD!!! 
> 
> Working at a summer camp is the best job 100/10 recomend it, even when the children start quoting old vines/start pretending to eat you/start crying because of random shit.
> 
> I also went to a party for the first time!!! My parents yelled at me bc i got in the car and my mom was like "how are u?" and i responded, deadass with "TIPSY" so that happened
> 
> im probs gonna start leaving comments on y'alls fics again, bc i've been too AnXiOuS to do that
> 
> also: i def dont have dyslexia turns out im just super lazy and cant tell my left and right apart bc my mom always was like 'yeah ur dad cant do that either' so...
> 
> PEACE! OUT! BOY! SCOUTS! (it feels so good to say that!)


	4. I'm Not Kidnapped Anymore, But I'm Very Tired (also let's start a revolution)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Race explains how he managed to sock Tommy Boy in the face, Jack becomes the leader of the group again and Spot is a concerned boyfriend. 
> 
> TW: Swear Words, Bad And Corrupted Armies, Crying, Revealed Betrayal (but it's all chill don't worry)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so... this is a bit awkward. it's been a while since i posted, but i had a good reason i promise!!!
> 
> school's started up, and instead of having free time, i have procrastination time, which leads to writing which leads to this. 
> 
> as always, enjoy or dont this is a free website where you can choose your preferences

“Antonio Giovanni Racetrack Pulitzer Higgins, what the actual fuck?” Katherine demanded, giving her baby brother a death stare. “These nice guards leave you for one confrontation, and you punch them as soon as they get back?” 

“With all due respect, Kitty Kat, what the actual fuck?” Race replied. “Yeah, sure, they ‘helped’ me. And by help, I mean they aggressively healed me,” he said, glaring at Sniper. 

Tommy Boy stood up, face bruised from his… umm… altercation. “Actually, I’se fine. Ya ain’t got a good hook, Higgins,” he said. 

Race looked offended. “The Duke of Coventry and Humphrey Caderwaller are here for my protection! They could never throw a weak hook!” he said, reverting to his old dramatic self.

“Well, I think it’s safe to say that he hasn’t snapped yet,” Albert said, slinging an arm around Race. “But don’t get yourself taken ‘gain. I had a full mental breakdown in the dungeon!” 

“Magic, Alberto. It was magic.” 

Albert sighed raising his arm slightly as if to give Race a gentle shove to the chest. He pulled away, though, not allowing himself to finish the motion. “Don’t call me Alberto, culo!” he said, faking offense. “But anyways… what’re ya doin?”

Gesturing wildly to the room that was formerly his prison, Race walked inside. The rather large group followed, with Tommy Boy locking the door. “Don’ worry, I’ll let all of us outta here,” he said when he was greeted with several glares and one middle finger.

“So…” Race said, jumping onto the bed. This, of course, proved to be a dumbass decision, as Race hit almost all of his bruises. “Fuck… that hurt…”

“Get on with it!” Smalls called from the group, staring directly into Race’s soul. She tended to do that. “I don’t wanna wait forever!” 

Propping himself upright, Race stuck his tongue out. “As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted… I escaped. I dunno if ya knew this, Thomas Man, but those handcuffs are super cheap. I was able to snap the chains within a second. Not that yer efforts to break it were in vain. I just had a little help.” Pulling a decently sized pocket knife from his trousers, Race popped open the small weapon. “See, fellas, this here’s a Swedish Military Blade. It’s got a lot of things in it. Like a whole hacksaw.” 

A regular-sized hacksaw popped out of the knife, clearly by some fairy magic. “Cool…” Spot whispered because he likes sharp things, and he likes Race. Putting the two of those together caused his gay little heart to explode. 

“Wait, why didn’t ya use that back in the Dragon’s Den?” Crutchie exclaimed. “I was dealin’ with the same shit as you!”

Race held out his hands in a placating manner. “I woulda gladly freed us, but I didn’t have the damn thing on me. Them Delancey’s snatched me up at 6 in the mornin, I didn’t have my knife. But I did have it hidden in this room…” he explained. Crutchie’s stance softened a little, as he realized that Race couldn’t have done anything to save them.   
“But those handcuffs are the strongest in the lands!” Tommy Boy said, picking up the broken chain. Giving it a tentative tug, he gasped as the chains fell apart. “The army dude said that these were made with dragon’s gold! Let me see here…” he said, examining the shimmering shackles. Giving them a careful pull, Tommy Boy gasped as they literally fell apart. Just like his faith in the military system of Manhattan! “What the actual fuck,” he said, throwing the chains on the ground. “What the fuck?” he screamed, turning to Sniper. 

The young girl moved to hide behind Specs, who was trying not to get involved in anything. “He looked like he was in pain, Rom Tom!”

“What did you do, Sniper?” Tommy demanded, voice lowering. Though, the harshness of a yell was still there, still cracking Sniper’s heart into a million little pieces. 

Taking a deep breath, Sniper stepped forwards. “I used my magic to break the chains!” she blurted out. “I’m sorry!” she added, wrapping her arms around Tommy’s torso. “I know that they track magic an’ all that shit, but he was in pain! I couldn’t help myself!” she cried, tears falling freely. 

“It’s… it’s okay,” Tommy said, like a liar. “I forgive you,” he added, leading Sniper away from the rest of the group. Speaking of the rest of the group, they were really confused. They were so confused that they forgot that you don’t stare at crying children. “Go back to yer stuff, we’ll be fine,” Tommy Boy said, giving them a rough wave. 

Race turned back to his friends… and Henry. “What I was sayin’ is that… aw fuck I forgot… Davey?” 

“You were talking about how you escaped, right up to the point of cutting the chains,” Davey said, helpfully setting the conversation back on track. 

“Thanks, man. Anyways, that’s it. I broke outta them chains, an’ punched Tommy Boy. So, let’s talk ‘bout what we’re doin’ next!” Race exclaimed, gesturing to the group. “I’se is thinkin’ we rebel!” 

Spot Conlon pushed his way past Jack and Romeo, sitting on the bed. “Racetrack Higgins, we are not rebelling against the king.” Race opened his mouth, but Spot put a careful finger on his lips. “NO! You’ve been kidnapped twice, with no break in between. We’se is takin’ the day off!” Spot declared. “You’se can create a plan, I’se is spendin’ time wit’ my boyfriend.” 

“Um, also… you’ve got three of King Pulitzer’s workers right here…” Henry butted in, hesitant to ruin the moment. “Like, I’m in support of your cause an’ all, but I don’t know about Tommy Boy an’ Sniper. Plus, we really should get back to our jobs.”

Davey piped up from the crowd. “Come on, guys! Take some risks! Seize the day!” he said while putting his hand on everyone’s shoulders. “Join the strike, Tommy Boy!” he exclaimed.

The gruff guard shrugged, looking at Henry. “Sure, why the fuck not?”

It was Jack who took the lead, stepping to the front. “Okay then! You heard the guards! Plus, my baby brother’s datin’ Racer!” he joked, as Spot flipped him off. “But we gotta start revolutionizin’. So here’s how it’s gonna work. I’m splittin’ up all couples, includin’ me an’ Davey.” Crutchie’s heart sped up, but he pushed those feelings down. “Kath, Davey an’ Specs, you guys is in charge of mappin’ the castle. Henry, Tommy Boy an’ Albert, you get weapons.” Both groups set off on their respective journeys, rushing out of the room.

“Hey Sniper, can ya turn some of the other staff?” Jack asked, looking at the young girl. She gave a harsh nod. “Perfect! You, Les and Smalls can do that.” The three children started to walk out of the room when he called them back. “Ya know, I think it might be smart to have Crutchie go with you.”

Inside his head, Crutchie was screaming. This boy was perfect, but then he had to ruin it by implying that he can’t do anything important? Come on! 

“Wit’ all them kids, I think they’ll need some muscle,” he said, giving Crutchie a wink. Giving a small salute, Crutchie hobbled out of the door, a smile on his face. 

“Now, the rest of us,” he said, pointing to Finch, Romeo, and Sarah, “Are gonna go talk with the people outside these walls. Which leaves Spot and Race to have their fun times.” The final four people walked out, leaving Race and Spot alone. Truly alone. 

And it felt like a weight had been lifted off their chests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DIDJA LIKE IT??? LEAVE A COMMENT IF YOU WANT OR LEAVE KUDOS!!! EITHER WAY, I START SHRIEKING IN SCHOOL AND EVERYONE STARES AT ME, SO WHY NOT???
> 
> im planning the next chapter as a frick-load of fluff, because these boys need a break, but ive never really written it. so i need ideas. if u write fluff or read it, lemme know what to do (im an angst writer for the most part so help is appreciated)
> 
> peace out boy scouts, i'll probs post something soon... or not, because i'm working on a novel version of this story as well

**Author's Note:**

> didja enjoy??? lemme know in the comments by leaving extremely eloquent paragraphs of text or an all-caps keyboard smash! I love all of them!!!
> 
> if there's anything you want to see (one-shots/scene ideas/etc.) let me know, because like Katherine Plumber: I have NO CLUE what i'm doing
> 
> AND! AS! ALWAYS! 
> 
> 🄿🄴🄰🄲🄴 🄾🅄🅃 🄱🄾🅈 🅂🄲🄾🅄🅃🅂
> 
> The normal part of the notes that shows up on every chapter except the first because AO3 hates me sometimes:   
> first off i wanna give a phat thanks to The_Bi_who_lived for scaring the everloving crap out of me while I was on my laptop. obviously, this is because im an idiot who puts her laptop at full volume and then gets notifications. there's a lil section inspired by their comment!
> 
> another thing: smalls' outfit is based off of Jojo the Girlsie from the Lincolnshire Marriott production of Newsies, sarah's is based off the outfit in the movie where the Delancey Bros bug her, romeo's is inspired by chaotic fairies, les's vest is inspired by 92sies and crutchie is based off of the musical


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